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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27766873">Out Of Order</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarkany_luka/pseuds/Sarkany_luka'>Sarkany_luka</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ben 10 Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble Collection, Drama &amp; Romance, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:47:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27766873</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarkany_luka/pseuds/Sarkany_luka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of short anachronic vignettes that usually, but not always, focus on two cousins.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Tennyson/Gwen Tennyson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Summer's End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How can summer be ending?” Gwen turned away from her computer to find her cousin making scrunched faces at the ceiling of the Rustbucket.</p><p>“What do you mean ‘how can summer be ending’? We only get two months.”</p><p>“I know *why* it’s ending,” the boy replied, slightly annoyed, “I just…”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>He sighed.</p><p>“We’ve been at this hero stuff for so long, I can’t believe it’s coming to an end.” They let the soft ambience of the night (and Grandpa’s snoring) to dominate the RV for a time. It hadn’t been that long, had it? But Gwen had to admit, it felt like years ago that they had first found the Omnitrix. For all the dangers they had experienced, it had, for a lack of a better term, been fun. But like all things, it couldn’t last.</p><p>“With school?” Gwen inquired, breaking the quiet.</p><p>“With Bellwood.” Boring old Bellwood.</p><p>“It’s not like you can’t go alien any more.” Ben snorted in dismission of the silver lining.</p><p>“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that if there’s nothing to fight?”</p><p>“You’re such a meathead.” But he already knew that. “Besides, don’t you have Cash and J.T. to deal with?” She could see him grimace a little, clearly hitting a nerve, but he tried to blow it off.</p><p>“Come on, you really think I’d waste time going hero on those two?” Yes.</p><p>“Fine.” She faked relenting. “Let me know if you’ve changed your mind after the hundredth wedgie.” It gave Ben pause for a moment as he recounted all the other unpleasant times he’d had with those two jerks. And imagined all the new torture techniques they’ll likely have come up with over the break.</p><p>“Ok, so maybe I’ll make an exception.” A silence descended on them for a scant few seconds after that, letting Gwen ponder a little more on what it meant for her.</p><p>“I’m going to miss…”</p><p>“Practicing magic?” Ben finished for her, to which she gave an affirming nod.</p><p>“We can’t do it whenever we want anymore. Not if we want to hide our identity.”</p><p>“Hey, I wouldn’t mind being famous.” A look of severe disappointment was transmitted to him for that comment. “So, what, you want to practice at night?”</p><p>“Just where no one can see us.” She shrugged. In Bellwood? It was hard enough finding a place that hadn’t been developed on… So maybe they’d just have to look outside of Bellwood.</p><p>“I know a place we could go.” The girl quirked her eyebrow as Ben snapped his fingers. “We can go to the woods behind my house. I don’t think anyone goes there.”</p><p>“And start another forest fire?” It caused Ben to growl at her.</p><p>“Would you just let it go?” His answer came in the form of Gwen sticking her tongue out at him.</p><p>“Also,” She continued, “there’s no way I’m going to cross half of Bellwood just after school.”</p><p>“Sucks to be you then.” He shot his tongue right back at her. She rolled her eyes as she deflated, returning to surf the internet. It wasn’t until much later that a random but relevant memory snaked back into her head.</p><p>“There’s that unfinished office building on Sterling Street.” She suddenly blurted, drawing Ben’s gaze.</p><p>“The one past the smoothie shop?” His mouth watering a bit at the thought.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t other kids have used it as a hideout before us?” She shrugged again.</p><p>“I don’t know, but it wouldn’t hurt to go there and find out.” And maybe scare them off if they did.</p><p>“Okay, so not too far from either of our houses. Want to check it out on Saturday?” Her face had lit up upon hearing that, which made her smile look oddly feline in nature.</p><p>“I thought you’d never ask.” And then the smile turned mean. “Just don’t try not to get burn anything down this time, ok?”</p><p>He tossed a cushion at her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. D&D and B&G</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You haven’t even tried it yet!” Ben rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time.</p>
<p>“I don’t have to try it, because it’s for nerds.” Why was she so insistent about it? This only the billionth time she bugged him about it. “That’s *way* too much math to be fun.”</p>
<p>“Please? Just one session.” She deployed quivering puppy dog eyes, a dastardly trick she knew he was vulnerable to! “I won’t ever mention it again if you do.” </p>
<p>“Fine!” He caved, wanting to end the conversation quickly. “Whatever, just get off my back about it!” </p>
<p>Gwen performed a small but silent fist pump behind his back, but he could feel it regardless. Seriously, what was so great about this thing anyway? It was barely a game…</p>
<p>A game, which, admittedly, cost a small fortune. There was no way he or Gwen could have gotten the rule books for this on their allowance. Seriously? Rule books? They were as big as the textbooks he had barely read for school. Ok, maybe a little more cool looking. Who was supposed to remember all those rules anyways? Aside from Gwen. </p>
<p>“Hey guys.” That voice. Was it…</p>
<p>“Eddie?” Ben blinked for a moment. “GrandSmith?”</p>
<p>“His middle name is Grand?” His other cousin, Lucy, had also been roped in and popped up behind them, curiously taking a look at the rich kid. Along with Cooper, who peaked his head out from behind her to examine to situation from afar.</p>
<p>“No,” Edwin responded, “my middle name is, ‘This will barely make a dent in my allowance’.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Lucy tried to confirm.</p>
<p>“No.” Cooper muttered, slipping past her and taking a seat next to Eddie.</p>
<p>“Eddie here has agreed to be our Dungeon Master for tonight.” The proud voice of Gwen Tennyson announced as everyone else got seated around the modest circular table, with dice sets and character sheets distributed about them. </p>
<p>“You didn’t make him read all that stuff for this, did you?” Ben teased, half seriously.</p>
<p>“Yes she did.” The GrandSmith answered before Gwen could explain herself. “Never thought I’d do homework for a game, but I’m going to make up for sleep later.” Homework the game, urgh.</p>
<p>“Based on the stuff you guys told Gwen, I’ve tried to make your characters to your liking. We can hammer things out after the first session if it’s not.” He unfolded a Dungeon Master’s screen and steepled his fingers. “So, let’s start with a brief introduction of characters. Here, we have Guinevere, the, uh,”</p>
<p>“Knowitall?” It earned Ben a hard slug to the shoulder.</p>
<p>“Mystic.” Eddie emphasized before continuing, “An elf scholar from the Academy of Arcane Arts whose search for knowledge and magic have so far led her to this town at the edge of the known world, where the unexplored and the unknown await to be revealed, and fame to be earned among her peers.”</p>
<p>“Give it a few months and I’ll be blasting out world ending spells like candy.” The sorceress bragged, casually looking over her nails.</p>
<p>“Next is Benshiro, the… Rotund, I guess? A human ronin wrestler from far away lands seeking vengeance…”</p>
<p>“Psst!” Ben tilted toward Gwen. “What’s ‘rotund’ mean?”</p>
<p>“That you’re fat.” She tried to keep a straight face, but he could see her smile evilly. </p>
<p>“Hey! I’m not fat, I’m just big boned!” That was pretty weak, he chastised himself.</p>
<p>“With the way you eat, it’s hard to tell.” Squinting his eyes in an angry glare had no effect on her, other than make her grin more.</p>
<p>“…to crush his greatest nemesis.” Eddie looked over at the Tennysons, offering a disparaging look. “I’m not boring you, am I?” They both shook their heads sheepishly. “Good.”</p>
<p>“Oh, oh! Do me next!” Lucy jumped up and down, her hand bobbing in the air.</p>
<p>“And, as requested, Lucinda, of the, whatchamacallit-”</p>
<p>“Lenopan!” The blonde girl chirped, eliciting nervous and knowing looks among the other players. </p>
<p>“Ok, yeah, the Lenopan Tribe. She is a half orc who seeks to heal her native lands of a sinister and ancient corruption with the help of outsiders. To that end, she has journeyed far and wide to get to the Kingdom of Zarania, seeking the help of adventurers, or anyone really, to help achieve her goals and save her people.”</p>
<p>There were three discreet sighs of relief as the Eddie narrated on, oblivious to the origins of that name. </p>
<p>“Last, but not least, Copper, the Supreme Gnome Inventor, oh seriously? You’re only level one!”</p>
<p>“Finish iiiit.” The technopath egged on eagerly on the edge of his seat, drawing out the words longer than they needed to be.</p>
<p>“Whatever. The creator of such things as the ball point quill,” the Dungeon Master paused for a moment in befuddlement at the next item, slowly and cautiously reading it out, “The Cat-O-pult? Huh?” The rest of the kids were snickering, aside from a mildly horrified Gwen. “The Plumbinator™, okay, do I even want to know what that is?” Cooper and Ben shared a high five at its mention, and even Gwen broke out in a fit of laughter. “Look, he’s just looking for gold and silver and copper for building stuff, okay? That’s why he’s out here. So you all meet up in this tavern…”</p>
<p>Everyone starts off wanting it to be like Lord of the Rings, forging the Fellowship, going on world changing adventures, and acting cool and epic. What they’re not told is that things sometimes have a way of devolving into the farce that is Monty Python and the Holy Grail.</p>
<p>So four hours later…</p>
<p>“You try to body slam the ghoul, only to slip on the grease your wizard friend left, and slide past him.”</p>
<p>“Alright, then I try to see how many skeletons I bowl into.”</p>
<p>“Roll a d10, man.”</p>
<p>“That’s a strike!”</p>
<p>“I’m gonna entangle those skellies, then I’ll sic Mr. Bitey on them!”</p>
<p>“But isn’t that going to entangle Ben as well?”</p>
<p>“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”</p>
<p>“I’ll toss my Molotov cocktail and break it on the ghoul’s face!”</p>
<p>“At that distance, you’ll have to roll at a minus-” </p>
<p>“Natural 20! Woohoo!”</p>
<p>“Are you kidding me?!”</p>
<p>“Just lucky, I guess.” </p>
<p>“The ghoul is now on fire. And still blank faced. What do- wait a sec, let me get this.” Edwin checked his phone, letting out a sigh and a shake of the head. “Alright, my grandfather’s sending someone over to pick me up, I think we’ll call it a night.” </p>
<p>After they all uttered their goodbyes, the adventuring party waited outside in the parking lot for their rides in the cool night air, reminiscing over the absurd things that had escalated over the evening. But while Cooper and Lucy were having a giddy time making fun of the NPCs, Gwen hung back to check on her cousin one last time.</p>
<p>“So…” she expectantly inquired, “What did you think?”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay, so maybe it wasn’t a complete snore fest.” Gwen allowed herself a triumphant ‘hmph’ as he tried to act cool. “Same time next week, right?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. You dropped this</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It hadn’t been long before she found the right ritual. Charmcaster’s little book even had a few passages on it and Boo had been fairly cooperative all along the way. All it took was some chalk and some scented candles to make the black cat her familiar. Well, that and a few hours of putting Boo back in place every time she got distracted and wandered off from the ritual circle. </p>
<p>Now? Now Gwen could occasionally see through Boo’s eyes and make suggestions to the little kitty. Not big commands or anything. The first couple of times she wanted her to steal some of Ben’s socks to teach him a lesson, Boo outright disregarded the order, communicating some emotion close to ‘wasting her time’ and then promptly took a nap. Not unexpected of a cat, really.</p>
<p>No, what was unexpected was Boo popping up between her and the spellbook with a very recognizable charm in its mouth.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey, Boo. What are you up to- IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?!” The lapse in volume control brought Ben’s attention into the mix as his eyes peeled away from the manga he had on hand.</p>
<p>“Ugh, has she been going through my stuff again? Thief.” He was about to continue the Sumo Slammer story before Gwen shoved the lucky stone in his face.</p>
<p>“You had it this entire time?!” Oh, right, he knew he had forgotten something… “Ben!”</p>
<p>“Well I was going to tell you eventually.” He shrugged. “I found it lying around, but you went flying on the... on the flying… skateboard… thing? Flyboard? Skyboard!” Her stare was starting to burn holes in him as beads of sweat formed around his face. “Uh, a-anyway, it doesn’t work or anything. I, uh, I tried it. I just, sort of, forgot to tell you about it.” </p>
<p>A suspicious and angry squint was levied against him.</p>
<p>“No, really, I-I forgot! There was all that stuff with the underwater aliens and Ghostfreak and Kevin and-”</p>
<p>“Ugh, fine, whatever.” If she had left him to babble on, it probably would have one excuse after the other until the sun went down.</p>
<p>Still, the Doofus had recovered the Luck charm for her. She wasn't going to deny him that credit.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” She muttered, hoping he couldn’t hear her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Security Clearance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Rustbucket was, well, rusty. And old. But everything had its place. Everything had… character. All those magnets stuck to the fridge, all souvenirs of their travels to different states, some keeping photos of the kids goofing off in front of landmarks. Max grinned thinking about the one from Sparksville. </p>
<p>Any day, the warmth of the sun would shine through the windows, the blinds in golden rays, shedding light on some of the cracks and scratches that dotted the inside, each one having a story he could spend hours recounting, and the serenity and nostalgia of it was only punctuated by his grandchildren teasing each other and getting on their nerves. </p>
<p>Even when they argued, their voices were the company he sorely needed. And it was even better when they all laughed together. </p>
<p>The space may be small, but in there, Max could feel alive.</p>
<p>It was the thought of his baby that kept him from shivering in the cold dark of the interrogation room, nondescript and barely lit as it was. The retired air force colonel could have mistaken the 15 by 15 room for one of those sets used in a cop show. The man across from him certainly would have fit the bill of a stern bad cop actor if Max didn’t already recognize him.</p>
<p>“Lieutenant Steel. I’m surprised to see you here.” The joviality of his voice failed to reach the younger man, whose frown only grew. The Special Extraterrestrial Containment Team wasn’t known for its friendly interaction with extraterrestrials, or those associate with them. Max was just glad Ben wasn’t anywhere near here. Gwen, having always been the wiser of the two, knew how to keep her cousin safe, and kept him from any ill advised attempt to rescue him from the Containment unit’s clutches. Where they actually were, he couldn’t say, and that was all the better, really. Those kids knew how to lay low these days. </p>
<p>“The feeling’s not mutual. And it’s Lieutenant Commander now.” He poured over the photos scattered over the table between them, the various aliens that were his grandson, and the other creatures who clearly weren’t. “Look, Mr. Tennyson, I’m not ungrateful for what your…friend did on the Golden Gate, but I’d be a fool to just let it go, especially with the uptick in alien activity these past few months. Especially this case.” Both their eyes drifted to the picture of Ben tangling with a tetramand, the same one that had been terrorizing downtown San Diego not hours ago. Well, there was no comfortable way to explain that.</p>
<p>“Hey, I know my rights.” The Navy officer quirked an eyebrow, somewhat amused. “If you want to discuss this, I want my lawyer present.” That earned Max a derisive snort.</p>
<p>“I would oblige you… if we were law enforcement.” It had been worth a shot, though.</p>
<p>“Can I talk with your supervisor right now?”</p>
<p>“Do I look like a mall cop to you?” Well…</p>
<p>“I insist.”</p>
<p>“You’re not in a position to insist anything, Mr. Tennyson.” If the boy’s voice was any more gruff and unyielding, he’d have been Max’s training instructor. “Besides, you don’t have the security clearance for that anyway.” Steel noticed the old man move his hand over his mouth. He could have sworn that there was the barest hint of a smile forming just as it was concealed. “Now if you’re done stalling, I’d like to ask a few questions…”</p>
<p>Max Tennyson had been questioned before, and not always by human beings. Compared to that, the hours of probing and cutting insinuations and quizzing this youngblood hounded him with was a walk in the park. He had answered as best he could, misleading information where he could, outright lying when things got too sensitive. It had to have been in the mere middle of their Q&amp;A session that they took a break, Steel looking just as unpleasant and haggard as Max did. And that was when the door burst open, another of Steel’s masked soldiers materializing behind him.</p>
<p>“Uh, sir? Command wants a word with you.” Try as he might, the grunt couldn’t hide the slight quiver in his voice. The quiver that Max instinctively knew spoke of angry higher ups.</p>
<p>“Not right now, I’m interrogating-”</p>
<p>“It can’t wait, sir.” Steel glared daggers, first at his subordinate, then at Max.</p>
<p>“Make sure he doesn’t leave.” Max didn’t need to. A few seconds after Steel’s disappearance, he could hear the faintest of arguments, one sided of course, happening somewhere down the hall. He couldn’t quite make out the words, but then again, it mattered little. He knew what the end result would be.</p>
<p>It had barely taken a minute for the task force’s leader to return, his face so boiling red that it seemed he’d burst out steam from his ears like one of Ben’s cartoons. </p>
<p>“I’ve been asked by my superiors to release you.” Max could see the child in his voice, the same sort of boy he had used to be after being forced by their parent to apologize for a wrongdoing, and only doing the bare minimum to comply. In that moment, the former military man desperately wanted to let out a grin, but kept his cool.</p>
<p>“Oh, well, thank you.” He offered his hand, but found only air. So much for that, Max thought, as he moved to the door.</p>
<p>“Who the hell are you?” Steel’s voice glued the old man’s feet to the floor, just at the threshold of the room. His interrogee had calmly spun around to meet his look, innocuous and well meaning.</p>
<p>“I’m Max Tennyson.” He responded, matter-of-factly. “I’m a plumber.”</p>
<p>“You know damn well what I mean.” The former SEAL had raised his voice, only to compose himself the second afterwards. “What makes you so important to national security?” Max sighed. Young people these days…</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Commander. You don’t have the security clearance for that.” And his words echoed in that tiny room long after he left.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. R&R</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a long week. On Monday, it had been those smugglers bringing in phased pulse rifles from Icharon. Tuesday and Wednesday were mixed together due to whatever time loop shenanigans Gwen tried explaining to him. He didn’t really know much else besides needing to punch out Hex on that one and end the confusion. Thursday was race to see who could turn in their university applications, and Friday and Saturday needed both of them to babysit Joel’s kid.</p>
<p>They just needed some time to relax. </p>
<p>So here they were, finally. No aliens. No magic. No chores. Just him and Gwen and a bed. </p>
<p>Eight years ago, he probably would have gagged and made fun of her looks, especially since she was in her underwear. Likewise, she’d probably come up with some quip to put him down and snark at the pattern on his boxers. </p>
<p>But that was then. Now? Now they had discovered… things. About each other, about themselves. Like how Gwen enjoyed tying or chaining him up on occasions. It may have been meanspirited in a sort of way. He could only assume it came about because she really liked how it had annoyed him that time he had fought Sublimino in the mall. He didn’t mind, though, being cuffed to the bed frame, his arms and his hands suspended a little over his head. If she was smiling as she crawled over to him, then he’d smile back, too. And she was.</p>
<p>“Mr. Tennyson,” the sorceress’s voice slipping coyly into his ear, “Don’t you seem to be in a bind.”</p>
<p>“Would you mind being a dear and, uh, release me?” She brought her lips just inches from his face, teasing him with his reward just out of reach. </p>
<p>“Oh, I certainly could, but everything must come at a price.” He watched as she walked two fingers across his chest, predictably exciting him as his heartrate practically exploded.</p>
<p>“Would you want that in cash or credit?” Even though she tried to play the part of a mature seductress, Ben could tell that she nearly corpsed from the terrible joke.</p>
<p>“S-silly boy, it’s nothing so material that you need to worry about.” She whipped out a small notebook out of nowhere that looked familiar. Too familiar. A sudden realization drained the color from Ben’s face as his hopes and dreams leaked out of him. </p>
<p>“No, wait, not that! Anything but that!” This time, he wasn’t playing around. He needed to escape. Now. This was serious. So, too, was Gwen’s face.</p>
<p>“You said you’d listen, and every time I tried to bring it up, you kept dodging it with some business or other.” A satisfied and vindicated huff followed. “Now there’s nothing to get in the way.”</p>
<p>“Please, I’ll do the dishes for a month! I’ll even feed the cat every day, just don’t do this!” But his pleas fell on deaf ears as the witch spoke her wicked words.</p>
<p>“What rains may fall on this summer day? O Heavens, those sweet tears that kiss my skin, that warms my heart, that chills my bones. Why must we shy from the darkened clouds that…”</p>
<p>“Aaaaaaargh!” Ben could only throw his head back in defeat as he was forced to endure an hour of Gwen’s self-styled poetry. A full hour he was never getting back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. What to wear...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They didn’t normally hang out for Halloween. </p><p>Historically, they had never gotten along, and those few times they did trick-or-treat together, it had ended in scuffles and stolen candy. </p><p>This time, though, Eddie had invited them to a party hosted by his grandfather as compensation for the less than stellar opening of the underwater resort that summer. They were holding it in Crestwell, quite a ways south of Bellwood, on the 31st, and it was guaranteed to have candies and snacks the likes of which they’d never had before. </p><p>But first, they had to prepare costumes.</p><p>“Is that a Handy Buddy suit?” Her voice sounded innocent, but he knew she was mocking him.</p><p>“Yes.” It had to be drawn out of him with invisible pliers.</p><p>“The same one from that Alien Buddy cartoon show?” Gwen inquired further, standing closer just to scrutinize it and make him more uncomfortable.</p><p>“Yes. So? So what? Like yours is any better!” He exploded, much to her wretched pleasure.</p><p>“Of course it is. I’m going as a witch this year.” What she materialized from under the cot was one of costumes Grandpa had bought at Salem, still lame as ever. </p><p>“Pfft, yeah, real imaginative.” Ben scoffed. “What else are you going to do? Get green makeup and a fake nose? Have fun looking like every other witch out there.”</p><p>“Yeah, and I’m sure you’ll be the only Alien Buddy there,” She rolled her eyes. “I’m at least trying to look historically accurate, you dunce.”</p><p>“Historically boring, more like it.” Her cousin’s sneering voice grated her, “And if you wanted it to look authentic, you’d probably wouldn’t be wearing something made with polyester.” He flipped the cloth tag on the collar, revealing the composition of fabrics. </p><p>Gwen wanted to bite back, but it was a surprisingly cogent point.</p><p>“Argh, I hate it when you’re right.” The words pass begrudgingly through gritted teeth.</p><p>“That explains why you’re always angry with me.” He didn’t even make it to the end of that sentence before his face was assaulted by colonial-esque clothing. Not that it stopped him from laughing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Let's all go to the lobby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s perfect!” Ben was too busy fawning over the trench coat and fedora in their grandfather’s closet to notice his cousin’s disapproving grimace. He’d seen it done in cartoons so many times, it made him giddy to try it himself.</p><p>“It’s dumb. What makes you think this would work? The ticket seller would have to be an idiot.” The boy shot her a dirty look, tossing the oversized clothing and a fake beard onto the backseat. </p><p>“You have a better way of getting inside and watching an R rated movie?” Sure, he meant it as a rhetorical question, but Gwen wasn’t going to let that stop her from nitpicking. </p><p>“There is literally a watch full of alien heroes on your hand and you can’t think of anyone that will get you in without other people noticing?” She took to stabbing the Omnitrix with her finger, only to have him brush it off dismissively.</p><p>“Right, and everyone’s *not* going to notice the big alien in the room during the previews. Even if I went Grey Matter, I’d have to make sure no one sat on me.” He did have a point. It would take a while before the Omnitrix turned him back to regular old pizza face.</p><p>“How much do you want to bet they’ll throw us out?” Ben Tennyson didn’t even need to think up an answer to that one. </p><p>“A week’s worth of dishwashing.” The stakes were high, then, given Grandpa’s culinary eccentricities. And this week definitely had snails on the menu again. “Chicken?”</p><p>“You wish.” Her hands shot out to grab the beard, running her fingers over the scratchy hairs before plastering it over her mouth.</p><p>“What are you doing?” The words coming out of his mouth sounded as if she’d intruded on something sacred. Gwen shot her cousin a flat stare. The answer was obvious.</p><p>“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m staying on top. No way am I going to be the butt end again.”</p><p>“Nuh uh, I’m topside.” And like everything, they had to fight over it. “I came up with the idea first.”</p><p>“It’s my turn to be on top!”</p><p>“You’re terrible at lying! Let me do it!”</p><p>“You weren’t any better at Sparksville either!” Ben retaliated to that by snatching the pseudo hair out of her hands.</p><p>“You’re a girl! Girls aren’t supposed to have beards!”</p><p>“Neither are ten-year-old boys, you dork!”</p><p>In between arguing and putting on the disguise, the two of them managed to gain some semblance of cohesiveness. Gwen, having come out on top, occasionally directed Ben’s movements from atop via kicking him in the sides, much to his consternation, and Ben tried to eye a path forward via a small gap between the buttons of the coat. But they moved about in such an awkward and janky way that Gwen was starting to turn green around the gills, and she wasn’t sure how long they could keep it up.</p><p>Ben brought them to the ticket stand where an older teen with an air headed look about him sat behind a glass panel, a red cap too small for his head (and likely constricting blood flow) and a red and white striped shirt with a few greasy stains on it. What really got Gwen’s attention, though, was the abnormally large and very prominent pink nose, roundly jutting out from his face. To say that the seller, who’s name tag said ‘Billy’, was unattractive, was an understatement, and not one that Gwen wished to linger on. They had a movie to catch, after all. </p><p>“Ahem, uh,” It was so much harder to think of what to say when the littler twerp below needed lessons on balancing things. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she feared the both of them being exposed from their twitchy and erratic movements alone. “One ticket, please.” She spoke in the best (or worst) baritone voice she could conjure.</p><p>“One ticket coming right- Wait a minute.” The teenage looking ticket seller spoke with an lackadaisical tone before cutting off at the last moment. As if he noticed something. Oh crud. “You look kind of funny…”</p><p>“W-what do you mean, uh, young man?” The beard started to itch. It took every ounce of will not to claw at it with her nails in front of the theater employee. After looking like a dumber version of Ben while thinking, he sparked back up and continued his childlike demeanor as he held the little stub out of the hole in the glass. </p><p>“Oh, you must be one of those circus people! Here you go!” Gwen had to awkwardly twist her body a bit and taking a few seconds to lean forward just enough to barely graze the ticket, whisking it out of the teen’s hands. She spurred her cousin to move on to the lobby, moving just a few feet more before hearing “Enjoy the show, bearded lady!”</p><p>It made Ben stop dead in his tracks for a moment. It was the same for Gwen, only she the one moving around.</p><p>“D-did he just…” Even as she started to process what just happened, Ben was all but ready to burst at the seems, scurrying along as fast as his feet could carry them until they found the right auditorium. </p><p>“HA! Hahahahaha!” He couldn’t even wait to push open the doors before letting his guts spill. Thankfully, no one was around to see or hear them. </p><p>“Shut up, midget!” Gwen took to digging her heels into his sides, to no avail. There was no way he’d live down anything this embarrassing. </p><p>“Bearded Lady?!” He asked incredulously, forgetting to breathe as he sank to the floor in fits of laughter, shirking off his cousin as she landed behind him, still in the trench coat getup, beard and all. </p><p>“Ben!” It was the warning tone of her voice that made him back off just a little. He'd have plenty of time to torment her for it later, for sure. A few seconds to compose himself and he was marginally more tolerable, standing up and walking in the dim glow of the auditorium and wiping away tears of laughter. </p><p>“See? Told you it’d work!” She hated it when he was right. And it was in the dumbest way possible. </p><p>“You’ve got to be flipping kidding me.” She pinched the bridge of her nose so hard Ben wouldn’t have been surprised if she simply nipped it right off. Not that he was going to give her any slack for it. </p><p>“Who has two thumbs and won’t be doing dishes for a week?” And indeed, he pointed both of his thumbs straight into his chest in triumph. “This guy!” </p><p>And all Gwen could do was bury her face in her hands.</p><p>“Kill me now.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. An abomination against taste buds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Open your mouth and close your eyes, and you will receive a big surprise.” She giggled, playing the little game. What did Ben have for her this time? She knew he liked the licorice from yesterday, so maybe he’d be considerate enough to pick out something like green tea flavored candy. Her tongue was hit by sugar, the texture of chocolate unmistakable in that split second, accepting the piece of confection into her mouth. Chewing it for the flavor, though, brought out something horribly wrong.</p>
<p>“Pthht!” Gwen’s eyes had snapped open as she spat out the remains of the chocolate bar. “Ew, gross! Ben! What was that?” Her accusatory glare formed first upon his evil grin and then down at the wrapper in his hands. “Candy corn? They made candy corn flavored chocolate?! Who does that?!”</p>
<p>She wouldn’t have put it past Ben to invent something like that, but he was too busy cackling, hugging his sides as he pointed at her in mockery. Did she want to hammer the little twerp? Yes, but like all things Ben Tennyson, the boy had turned tail and ran the first sign of comeuppance. Or, in this case, a raised fist. Before she knew it, he was already out the door and making a mad dash across the parking lot, still guffawing like an idiot.</p>
<p>“You’re going to get yours, Benjamin Tennyson!” She shook her fist, glaring from behind the window, her eyes narrowing just like the blinds she closed shut. There had to be something in her spell book that would be useful for this situation… Hmm? She blinked at a random page. What’s this? A preservation spell…?</p>
<p>A few hours later and Ben had finally guesstimated that his cousin had likely cooled down enough to consider approaching once more. However, he’d find her sitting in the dining booth, nonchalantly reading into one of her pretentious books about dead philosopher people. Ugh, couldn’t she ever try reading anything at their age level for once? She could at least try to act like a normal teen. Her eyes caught him as he stepped in, squinted in a stony look, and returned angrily to her pages. </p>
<p>“You’re not still mad about the chocolate are you?” A little annoyed huff was all that answered him. Sighing as he shook his head, Ben took the seat beside her, hooking his hand around her waist as a gesture of reconciliation. “Look, I’ll make it up to you, okay? We’ll go to that poetry reading tomorrow.”</p>
<p>He could see the conflicted feelings playing out in her eyes. In his favor. Without saying a word, her features softened, smiling even. Ben would take that as a victory. Capitalizing on it, he moved in to claim his prize. He pressed his lips to hers, hoping to taste the sweet cherry of her lip gloss, and indeed, it was there. What surprised him was how aggressively Gwen wanted to take it, lashing out a bit with her tongue. Of course he’d oblige her, opening up and sharing his own with-</p>
<p>Wait, what was that in her mouth? It tasted like…</p>
<p>Oh God, it was in *his* mouth now! All of it! He spun his head so fast, he probably could have snapped it, ejecting the candy corn tainted chocolate in a wad of spit.</p>
<p>“Yuck! Was that-!?”</p>
<p>“What goes around, comes around, Tennyson.” The horrible witch declared, her hand wiping away the sweet remains around her lips and leaving a wolfish grin on the true victor.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Smells like Doofus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Another long day of fighting aliens and reminding Ben to not be a complete dingus. Tiring and unappreciated work, but someone had to do it. Not that it was all bad. Saving his hide every now and then netted certain benefits.</p><p>Gwen was just happy it led to her winning the bottom bunk again. </p><p>She fell face first into the pillow hoping to let the sweet embrace of sleep take her. The cotton soft material cushioned her fall and warmly accommodated her to the cusp of the dreamlands, accompanied by a comforting odor in the fabrics.</p><p>…</p><p>Wait, hadn’t Ben been sleeping here? Without showering? They hadn’t even switched the pillowcase yet. Ben had his dirty messy hair in this pillow for days!</p><p>Her eyelids flew open before she pushed herself off of the bed, shoving herself away like it was a diseased leper. </p><p>Oh #%$@! She wanted to scream, but clasped her mouth, stifling any gasp or unlady like curse. Gwen breathed heavily and forcefully through her hands, her eyes and ears searching the darkness for any signs of stirring from her grandfather or her cousin. </p><p>Grandpa Max was steadily snoring up a metronome, as usual. Ben, meanwhile, only shifted a little in his cot, no doubt soaking it with his saliva and his stink breath.</p><p>Ergh, Ben had probably drooled in this one, too, Gwen thought, poking it apprehensively. So gross. But then… it hadn’t smelled that bad…</p><p>…</p><p>It was hard to describe, but some of it reminded her of loose earth from her back yard. A little. Maybe mixed in with a bit of his sweat, too. And grass.</p><p>Blegh.</p><p>He could at least have the decency to smell consistently like old gym socks and arm pits. At least then she could pin down exactly how disgusting his odor was.</p><p>Gwen knew she needed to get rid of it, all of it. But she didn’t want to risk waking the other two with any small commotion. She’d just have to bear with it until tomorrow. </p><p>She slunk back into her cot, this time keeping her face well out of the used headrest, trying not to think about sleeping in Ben’s cooties. An eon of time later, after tossing and turning all the while and landing her nostrils back in pillow, she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about it. He was gross, so gross. It didn’t make sense for his stuff to not reek of it. Maybe her tired mind was just playing tricks on her nose. Maybe if she tried again, it would smell different.</p><p>So she took in another deep breath, just to remind herself how gross he really was.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Boo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Grandpa! Gwen’s cat won’t stop bugging me!” Max shook his head. He couldn’t afford to take his eyes off the road right now, but he did tilt his head to the rear.</p><p>“Aw, now Ben, she’s only trying to be friendly. I think it’s a good sign that she likes you.” The little pitch black stowaway had stolen his granddaughter’s heart, in no small part due to how much it got on Ben’s nerves.</p><p>“Gee, I wished the feeling was mutual.” Its tail smacked him on the nose, almost retaliatory in nature, as it tried to sniff the Omnitrix, the whiskers tickling him something fierce. Without a second thought, he pushed it away, his mouth forming an upside down ‘U’. </p><p>“Come on, cousin, don’t be like that.” Gwen’s hands came in to rescue the small furball, gently lifting it up in the air by its forelegs, shaking one of them in his direction. “See? She’s saying ‘hewwo’.” The cat itself had a slightly more confused expression mixed in with supreme indifference.</p><p>“And I’m saying ‘goodbye’.” The boy left the dining booth for the back of the RV, leaving the cat even more confused than before. His eyes looked to the outside as trees and signposts zoomed by, grumbling to himself.</p><p>“Jerk.” She muttered before turning to Max, still holding her new pet. “Grandpa? Can we take her home with us?”</p><p>“Well, I don’t mind keeping her, Pumpkin, but you’ll need to ask your mom and dad about that. I’m sure they’ll say yes, though.” She let out a little squeal that raked Ben’s ears as he winced. Could it get any worse? He bumped his head against the window, wishing they’d just hurry up and make it to the Halloween party. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could get to all the candy and games, the sooner she’d stop fawning over that darned-</p><p>“Boo!” To say that the sudden appearance of the feline nose in his face was startling would have been an understatement, but Ben didn’t quite have the faculties to process anything besides following his reflexes.</p><p>“AAAAHHH!” He flew back, pressing up against the back seat to get as much distance between him and the cat, only to gaze at his cousin now in her true form, her evil witch wardrobe now complete with the addition of the unlucky feline. </p><p>“Gwen…” He growled impotently as she giggled, looking her new familiar in the eye.</p><p>“Guess that’ll be your name from now on, kitty.” Again, she lifted the black cat’s paw and waved it in his general direction. “Boo.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Crazy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The growling of car engines drifted off into the night as the Tennyson kids were left to their own devices. Some party that their parents needed to attend that both cousins had opted out of, so naturally they would have no choice but to hang out again. Normally, that would have been a great opportunity to go heroing, but this weekend was… different. </p>
<p>Last time, for whatever reasons he had forgotten, Benjamin Tennyson had jokingly offered to give back the birthday party he’d won back at Camp Opinicon. The light in Gwen’s eyes sparkled for the brief second before he added that she play Through the Fire and Flame with those piano skills she’d boasted about one too many times. It had been cruel to see the brightness in her demeanor be snuffed out like a candle. Funny, but still kind of cruel. An impossible task for sure. You’d have to be crazy to try.</p>
<p>So now, he was staring at his cousin who, very much unlike her, was more unkempt and disheveled than he was. If Ben hadn’t known any better, he’d have thought this were some Twilight Zone episode. Or a body snatcher film. The tell-tale bags under her eyes told him that she had spent too many nights awake, an icky paleness about her that he would have joked made her look vampirish. Even the hastily matted down pillow hair gave it all away that she had spent quite a bit of her time doing… something to the point of exhaustion.</p>
<p>But he could feel the fire in her as she grasped his arm tightened rather painfully, dragging him to the middle of the living room, to a couch that sat a few paces away from a giant wooden block with black and white keys. If he were to describe it in terms of those Japanese cartoons, she was clearly surrounded by some oppressive and intimidating aura that threatened to burn him up.</p>
<p>“Stay. Here.” Her sharp tongue was surprisingly absent, but her words were fierce enough to keep him confined to a pillow cushion. Just, not enough to keep him from complaining.</p>
<p>“Oh, come on, you’re not still hung up over that? Give it a rest!” He never expected it to mean *that* much to her… </p>
<p>“You. Wish.” As she settled into the piano seat, Ben rolled his eyes in preparation to hearing one of his favorite tunes get mangled by some overpriced instrument that was commonly reserved for snobs and posers. But as his gaze randomly traveled, he noticed the coffee table had been strewn with pixy sticks. Opened pixy sticks, with specs of sugar bits lightly scattered in the middle. Accompanying the hollow tubes were two coffee cups, both emptied, but retaining a very strong roasted scent, and her own spell book lay haphazardly open. Even though Ben wouldn’t be caught dead reading a book voluntarily, he took a quick peak at the most recent page, a bit of magic that mentioned ‘speed’ and ‘haste’. </p>
<p>He gulped. </p>
<p>Surely, Gwen couldn’t have… oh who was he kidding? Of course she did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
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</p>
<p>The moment her fingers hit the piano, it was as if she had hit the ground running, the sheer speed by which she hit the keys made her fingers blur up in his vision. It simply didn’t seem humanly possible. And it wasn’t. </p>
<p>Ben wondered if she’d jam a few keys from playing so fast, and he had been taken in the first several seconds by how coherent and faithful her approximation of the song was. Gwen’s digits were darting back and forth so quickly it made her already unruly hair fly about, his eye particularly catching onto that bang by her hair clip, the one he’d often find himself gravitating to when she wasn’t looking. </p>
<p>So captivated was he the first few minutes that he hadn’t noticed that several keys were playing on their own. Both sets of fingers were hopping and dancing about the board, and yet several of the bars were being slammed by an unseen force, as if invisible hands were playing them…</p>
<p>Oh, right, the magic.</p>
<p>It became so intense that she had to sacrifice the lower octaves to the phantom fingers in order to hack the right side to smithereens with her bare hands.</p>
<p>By the time she had made it to the post-chorus, sweat had started to accumulate all over her forehead. She took her actual hands off for a break as the keys played what few notes themselves, allowing Gwen the luxury to stretch her arms back, her body arcing past her center of gravity so that her eyes, now manic and mad, pierced Ben’s heart with a half crazed grin. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or terrified. Or both.</p>
<p>And just like that, she flung herself back onto the keyboard, her now sweaty hair lashing about as frantic and rapid taps fired off in a machine gun staccato. She broke into the section that would have been the guitar solo, where practically all the keys were getting obliterated, half of them by the unseen force. He’d often bragged about XLR8’s speed, but it was a humbling experience seeing his dweeb show him the meaning of swiftness. The blue speed demon would, admittedly, have hammered at everything randomly just as he was accustomed to. Each of her fingers were effectively little river dancers, every motion nimble but purposed and choreographed.  </p>
<p>She had one last burst of rapid fire keystrokes to tie up the outro, ending with a spectacular and sonorous climax that shook some of the windows and made him grip the seat cushion. </p>
<p>Gwen had to take a few breaths before turning around to meet Ben’s eyes, but the look in hers was one of long awaited and much labored triumph. She wiped away beads of sweat from her face as she drank in the doofus’ wide eyes awe, and his humorous guppy like expression.</p>
<p>Even Ben didn’t realize his jaw had dropped on its own, a gaping mouth that was on the cusp of spilling whatever coherent thoughts were left in his brain. Now with more spring in her step, Gwen beamed at her single audience, striding giddily up to him and gently pushing his mouth close with the tip of her fingers, as if to subtly chastise him for his etiquette. With those weapons, it might as well have been a threat, too. He couldn’t even formulate a response as she completely collapsed onto the couch, taking it up lengthwise in an unconscious heap with an incredibly broad smile still plastered on her face. </p>
<p>“Fine.” The boy conceded after a few minutes of processing what just happened. “You win.”</p>
<p>When their parents returned, they were greeted by the brunette shushing them as he watched cartoons to a soft volume, his cousin bundled up in a blanket beside him, only occasionally taking his view off the screen to either look at her or at the piano sitting far off to the side.</p>
<p>"Crazy." He muttered to himself once the adults were out of earshot.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Uh Oh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Standard">He wasn’t expecting this.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“Ben that’s so awesome! You never told me you could play guitar!”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">He probably should have, seeing as it happened once before, but it was a bit too late to gripe over it now. Besides, this was… kind of nice.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“Hey, Ben! What other aliens do you have in your watch?”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">The last time Ben was stuck in some dream machine was when the Forever Knights needed to take off the Omnitrix and keep him placated.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“Do you think I could learn magic, too?”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">This one had done a pretty good job of it, too. He wasn’t exactly sure why Lucy was here in the smoothie parlor (not that he was complaining), but Kai showing interest in him had always been something he had fantasized, even if she… didn’t quite reciprocate.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">That, honestly, was what tipped him off.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“How does the watch even work?”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">He wasn’t as dumb as the Dweeb often said he was. Hell, since both of the girls were asking him a bunch of questions, wanting to ‘know him more’, he was pretty sure whoever had put him under was fishing for information. He just played along, of course, and bought them some smoothies and cracked a few jokes. It wasn’t his fault that they were snuggling up to him, and besides, he was buying Grandpa and Gwen some time to get to him again, after all, and there was nothing wrong with that, right?</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“It generates Omni energy to rearrange my atoms, that’s how I can turn into an alien! I learned that from its creator…”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">Plus, he didn’t need to give them accurate answers. Not that he had any real knowledge of it’s internal mechanisms to begin with, but every kid knew how to BS. Normal kids, anyways.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“If you want, I, uh, I could show some other alien forms I collected…”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">If Gwen were here, she’d give him a thorough chastising about not realizing he was in a simulation and doing something about it. And, also, probably get mad at him for indulging a little in his attention seeking with other girls. But these two weren’t actually Lucy or Kai. Or even real girls for that matter.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“Hey Ben, you want to add Sludgepuppy DNA to-”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">And all of a sudden, they stopped. Stopped talking and stopped moving, too. In fact, everyone in the parlor was surrounded by a faint blue glow that- Uh oh.</p><p class="Standard">
  
</p><p class="Standard">“Enjoying your new girlfriends, Tennyson?” Ben’s body froze as the menacing silkiness of those words chilled his spine. It took a few seconds for him to slowly turn around and come face to face with the glaring eyes of his actual girlfriend.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“Whu-I-uh-G-Gwen, hey, this-this isn’t what it looks like.” Her hands were firmly rooted to her hips, her gaze and height over him made the boy shrink.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“You’re right. It sooo looked like you were cuddling with clones of Lucy and Kai, but that couldn’t be the case,” Ben could have sworn there was a vein twitching on the side of her head, but didn’t dare break eye contact, “because if my boyfriend was canoodling with other girls behind my back, I’d turn his Playstation into a pile of snakes the next time he turned it on.” With a snap of her finger, Kai and Lucy’s doppelgängers instantly shattered into billions of pixels. “Don’t you agree?”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">Ben gulped appreciatively, his head furiously nodding to avoid a similar fate.</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“Uh, just so we’re clear, I wasn’t- I mean, I was trying to figure out why what sort of questions they were interested in. You know, get an idea what they really wanted.”</p><p class="Standard"> </p><p class="Standard">“Riiight.” His cousin’s arms were solidly folded, unconvinced, but not wholly unforgiving. “You can explain yourself *after* I’m done saving your butt, Doofus.” And as she said it, a twisted smile came into existence. “Preferably *after* you do all of my chores.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos to narimaru1868 for the artwork.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. First Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Clubs? Who cares about that? That just means less time to play video games.” This was the umpteenth time Ben had dismissed Gwen’s needy nagging about his future.</p><p>“Is Sumo Slammers the only thing going on in that tiny brain of yours?” Her words were more annoying that the finger she used to poke at his head. “Even a little extracurricular activity is going to help you apply for college or get a job.”</p><p>“I can turn into a bajillion aliens.” He whispered to avoid the rest of the orientation crowd hearing him. “Who’s going to say ‘no’ to me?” Infuriated by his stupidity, Gwen was just about to mouth off everything that was wrong with him, only to have their regularly schedule confrontation be interrupted.</p><p>“You guys don’t ever stop arguing, huh?” </p><p>“Cooper?” The shock etched into their faces as they saw the blonde kid take a seat next to Gwen, smirking innocently back at them. That only elicited pained groans from the Tennysons. “Aw, not you again.”</p><p>“C’mon, you’re not still angry about that are you? That was weeks ago.” It still felt like yesterday for Ben. Funny thing how falsely promising show tickets in exchange for friendship could sour the relationship.</p><p>“I don’t know. Do you have any tickets for the premier of Kangaroo Kommando vs Sumo Slammers?” It had been rhetorical, of course. It was just a little bit surprising when Cooper answered back with no hesitation.</p><p>“What if I said ‘yes’?” After a few blinks of the eye, Ben chose to lean closer, an eager twinkle in his eye.</p><p>“How many do you-” He had taken the bait, but Gwen never let him finish his question, choosing instead to push his face aside and take charge of the conversation.</p><p>“*I* would be very suspicious and like to see these tickets first.” The summer had taught them many valuable lessons (for Gwen at least), and one of them was making sure that the person offering you something was telling the truth.</p><p>“I left them. Back at home.” Cooper scratched at his freckles a bit. </p><p>“How convenient.” Said the redhead, squinting in disbelief. </p><p>“Hey Ben! Hey Gwen!” Another voice they had not heard since the end of summer. Another blonde head, only this time, far more feminine and cheerfully waving at them. </p><p>“What are you *doing* here?” Lucy plopped down on Ben’s left as he asked in surprise, finding her bubbling with enthusiasm and energy. “What’s she doing here?” Gwen could only answer with a confused shrug herself.</p><p>“Camille thinks it’s good for me to learn to fit in, so I go here now!” Gwen wasn’t so sure letting her alien cousin attend human school was such a good idea. It was already a disaster letting Ben in, and he was spending only a fraction of his time being multiple extraterrestrial creatures. That kind of attention couldn’t lead to anything good, could it?</p><p>“Who’s this?” Oh, right, Cooper hadn’t met her before. </p><p>“Lucy, Cooper. Cooper, Lucy, our cousin.” The Doofus had beaten her to the explanation, incredibly brief though it was. “We know her through our other cousin, Joel.”</p><p>“That’s a lot of cousins.” The golden haired boy observed, only to slowly furrow his brow, a few beads of sweat forming. “Wait… didn’t your grandpa say he got married to a…” His voice dropped to a hushed tone compared to the chattering in the gym, “…a sludgepuppy?”</p><p>“Yeah! That’s my sister!” Those words had almost made Cooper’s hair go white. Or it could have been Ben’s imagination. </p><p>“*You’re* a sludgepuppy?!” The technopath hissed out, glancing over nervously to the girl with whisker marks on her face, his finger brought up as a pointed and accusatory weapon to keep her at bay. </p><p>“What?” Ben had asked instinctively before the history of bad blood slammed into his thoughts. “Ooooh.”</p><p>“I don’t know about you guys, but my grandpa could tell me all sorts of stories about sludgepuppies. None of them were good.” This had the potential to get considerably more awkward, as Cooper took to feebly shield himself with Gwen’s body, only daring to peek out just a little to keep an eye on the lenopan.</p><p>“But there’s been a truce for a while now,” the young sorceress attempted, sheepishly, to shift their focus on the brighter side. “That’s good enough, right?” </p><p>“If you say so…”</p><p>“Hey, Camille even helped us fight her parents when they tried to kill Joel.” Part of Ben regretted mentioning that part, as Cooper was, again, on edge, his eyes growing to the size of the moon. “Okay, wait, let me explain that…”</p><p>And to top it all off, Lucy was still beaming a friendly smile to tech prodigy, only to make him feel even more suspicious.</p><p>“Come on, don’t you trust me?” Lucy asked, batting her eyelashes a little.</p><p>“Sure.” Cooper responded offhandedly, only to give it just a bit more thought a split second later. “Wait, what’s the other thing? No.”</p><p>“Well,” the dryness in Gwen’s words soaking up all the moisture in the air that Ben’s throat began to parch, “this seems like the start of a beautiful friendship.”</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Lesson Learned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, what did we learn today?” Ben rolled his eyes away from his nagging cousin, flipping on his side so that she’d face his back. </p><p>“Never eat a supreme burrito before a big fight, gotcha.” A loud slap to his shoulders caused him to flinch and toss his comic book further into the depth of her dwelling. “Hey!”</p><p>“No, doofus!” Ben brought himself about only to meet brilliant head of fiery red hair and intense pair of green eyes looking down at him. Angry eyes. “Don’t go easy on the bad guy just because she’s a girl!” She sat down beside him frustrated, arms crossed. Nitpicking him like always.</p><p>“So she got a few lucky hits in. Big deal. It’s not like we don’t get taken by surprise every now and then.” Her eyes narrowed.</p><p>“Hello?” She flicked a finger at his forehead. “The reason why she knocked you around was because you kept treating her with the kiddy gloves on!” </p><p>To be fair, though, it was a tough fight, but that one Forever Knight chick did look pretty cute, he grinned to himself.</p><p>“I know that look, Ben!” Gwen’s stern voice brought him out of it. Killjoy. “Ugh, show a boy a pretty face and all of a sudden he loses his higher brain functions.”</p><p>“Do not.”</p><p>“Do too.”</p><p>“Get real.” He grumbled. “When have I ever-”</p><p>“Kai.” It finally gave him pause. It finally made him think. If only a little. The minimum amount.</p><p>“Yeah, okay, but it didn’t affect how I kicked butt. Besides, it’s not like I go goo-goo eyed whenever you’re around.”</p><p>“Wha- I- That’s-” Now she was the one stumbling, sputtering, backfooted, and Ben loved every moment of it. He burst out laughing, the look on her ever reddening face was priceless.</p><p>“You are such a troll!” She slammed both hands beside his head, bracketing him in an attempt at intimidation, but he kept a Cheshire grin. </p><p>“But you liked it, right?” That wasn’t the point! Gwen thought. Even if it was kind of true...</p><p>“Why can’t you take this seriously?!” To no surprise at all, he answered with his usual cocksure bravado, but she could sense at least a little self-restraint in how soft spoken it was, trying to assuage her concerns.</p><p>“You know me, I can take whatever they dish out.”</p><p>“Yeah, until you can’t. I don’t think you can even count how many times that’s happened to you.” She sighed, almost in defeat, as she slumped down on top of him. “So, unless you want to gift wrap your butt for them to kick, maybe next time you should start using this,” a sharp tap to his noggin for emphasis, “instead of, well…”</p><p>He caught her eyes drifting to his lips, the words forgotten in her mouth, their faces having practically no distance between them. Gwen looked around uncomfortably afterwards until their gazes locked on.</p><p>Seconds crawled by, silently, uneventfully. Not a word. Only the depths of their eyes judging and gauging the opposite pair. Their hearts were thrumming against one another, in sync, alternating between them. Every beat begetting another stronger pulse as they raced, competed, against each other, daring one of them to break the quiet first. Ben refused, of course, to admit any sort of defeat, and Gwen naturally saw no reason to let her cousin win and laud it over her head for the rest of eternity. But she was sorely disadvantaged. The longer she hovered over him, the weaker she felt. Gravity was doing all the work for the selfish boy, making her lips go down to his, and she wasn’t sure if it was some attractive force he personally had… scratch that, definitely. </p><p>Ben could barely keep from smiling. He knew he would win. It was only a matter of what flavor of lip balm she decided to use today. Strawberry, from the scent of it. A few inches closer and he’d taste it… </p><p>“You guys aren’t playing hanky panky now, are you?” A familiar voice purposefully intruded upon on them, breaking the scene as both cousins snapped to the doorway.</p><p>“Grandpa!?” They jolted upright immediately, right into the ceiling. “Ow!” Both kids fell out onto the carpet, clutching and massaging their craniums. Defeat so swiftly snatched from the jaws of victory.</p><p>“Sorry kids,” their grandfather apologized, chuckling a little as he watched them nursing their heads, “but your parents would kill me if I didn’t keep an eye on you.”</p><p>“Gee, Grandpa,” Ben muttered, accepting an ice pack the old man threw his way, “You think you could find a better way to ruin the moment?”</p><p>“I could think of a few.” He handed the other pack to Gwen, who plastered it straight to the back of her head. “But it wouldn’t be nearly as fun. Besides, I’ll only bother you if I catch you.” Ben saw his grandpa give them a quick wink before disappearing to the other end of the Rustbucket.</p><p>“You hear that?” The boy scoffed playfully. “We just need to not get caught.”</p><p>“Ugh, with you? You’re the least subtle person I know.” She threw her hands up high, mockingly. “Who’s your hero!?” It brought a wolfish grin to his face.</p><p>“Yeah, and?” She could tell he wanted an answer from her. And despite knowing she shouldn’t give him the satisfaction, his head was already twice as big as when this summer started, his mirth was infectious. Compelling.</p><p>“Fine, it’s you.”</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Your license and registration, please</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your license and registration, please</p><p> </p><p>“Sir, may I see your license and registr- Max? Max Tennyson?” The Plumber hadn’t expected the authorities to arrive this soon. Even part of the Masquerade, Maxwell Tennyson was still on guard about them until that congenial tone tickled his memories.</p><p>“Well, I’ll be. It’s been a long time.” He had left his grandchildren’s side to shake this man’s hand, another wrinkly old face with greying hair. But there was only one person who’d have that smooth a southern drawl out here in New York.</p><p>“I haven’t seen you since that missing symbiote case. Twenty years has done a lot to you, I see.” That had been quite a chase. It was hard to imagine it being so long ago.</p><p>“I wish I could say the same for your personality.” His old friend lifted the corner of his lips ever so slightly, extending his hand for a shake. Of course Max obliged.</p><p>“What personality?” They both shared a chuckling fit, getting him weird looks from Ben and Gwen. “So what brings you to New York?”</p><p>“Family vacation. I barely get time to spend with my grandkids, so I’m making the most of it.” Both men took a beat to gaze sideways at the sewage treatment plant. “I, uh, probably could have picked better spots.”</p><p>“You sure picked a fine time to visit, too. There’s been a general uptick in alien activity over the past few weeks. Got most of the other migrants hunkering down for safety at headquarters like the big bad wolf’s come knocking. Don’t suppose you know anything about that?”</p><p>The contents of their conversation could have filled a phonebook, but the cousins found themselves too preoccupied to be privy to it.</p><p>“Uh, you kids wanna move over here and let the grown ups talk?” The other man in a suit gestured. This one was far more youthful, sporting a small mustache, goatee, and a charming smile.</p><p>“If they’re the grown ups, what does that make you?” The boy muttered loud enough to hear, earning him a quick jolt of pain to the ribs.</p><p>“Don’t you ever know when to keep your mouth shut?” Gwen hissed.</p><p>“Heh, you should listen to your girlfriend, kid.” The agent chortled a bit as Ben’s face flushed in response. If he was going to be on baby sitting duty, he’d at least have some fun with it.</p><p>“She’s not my girlfriend!” The boy vehemently denied, with Gwen even pantomimed a gagging reflex at the words.</p><p>“Sure kid, sure.” Nonchalantly, or maybe he was just acting cool, Ben didn’t know, the agent flipped out what looked like PDA and a stylus. “Look, I’m just gonna ask y’all a few questions and then you can go on to your grandpa, ok?”</p><p>“Fine.” The boy folded his arms in contempt, attempting to keep the Omnitrix covered up in the process.</p><p>“So what were you guys doing around a waste treatment plant at this time of night anyhow? Please tell me it wasn’t for the smell.”</p><p>Max tilted his head to the man interrogating his grandkids, amused more than anything.</p><p>“Is that your partner?” </p><p>“My replacement.” The man in the black suit spoke, also bemused, but with an undertone of confidence. “About time I retired, too. I haven’t got that many years left in me, anyways. Besides, I could really do without certain memories. Ever seen the inside of a live Bug? It ain’t pretty.”</p><p>“You know, retirement’s not exactly all it’s cracked up to be. Not for me at any rate.” Max scratched the back of his head as he raced through all the adventures they’d had over the summer. “They don’t have you go for mind wipes anymore, do they?”</p><p>“Of course they do. No one’s gonna come looking for us if we don’t know anything, and we intend to keep it that way.” Their organizations had rather different philosophies and end goals, all things considered. For someone like Max, the memory removal was an ethical grey area he had been accustomed to in the old days, but to remove an operative’s experience was a considerable detriment. It had been something they had argued over extensively only to remain entrenched exactly where they were today.</p><p>“A damn shame then. That rookie’s got some big shoes to fill.”</p><p>“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about him. A bit rough around the edges, but he’ll grow into it. They all do. Hell, kid's even got a head start. Tracked down a cephalapoid before joining up. On foot, too.”</p><p>“A ceph?” A long whistle escaped Max’s lips. Sure, they weren’t sludgepuppies, but those squids were no joke. Slippery devils would occasionally give the Plumbers a run for their money. </p><p>Max would have to concede, that was impressive, though impressed was not the word his kids would have used to describe him right now.</p><p>“… telling me that lizard monster was just after you for no reason?” He was trying real hard to not sound unconvinced, but that was really hard to do when he could smell BS coming his way. Or maybe that was just the waste water?</p><p>“I guess he was looking for a fun sized snack.” Gwen offered, flashing her cousin a mean grin.</p><p>“Hey!” It was a low blow to Ben, picking on his height, but after all the pranks he pulled today, it was nice getting some payback.</p><p>“And can you tell me where the giant yellow roly poly with the flashy red thing went after he punted this guy halfway to Jersey?”</p><p>“Uh, I think he went…” Ben was stalling, stumbling to give an answer, before his eyes settled conveniently on the street leading out and away from them. “Down that way.”</p><p>“41st, huh?” Shaking his head, the agent finished jotting down the information. Or at least, he portrayed himself that way while he also eyed the green and black band on the boy’s wrist. “Hey, kid, you wouldn’t happen to have the time, would you?”</p><p>“No. Why would I?” The red head’s eyes sparked for a moment, a slight worry that the agent quietly caught onto as it infected the boy not soon after.</p><p>“Never mind.” He straightened his suit and replaced the PDA with some metal rectangle with antennae giving off soft beeps. “You mind holdin’ still for me, please?”</p><p>The readings on the device made him frown, cursing a little under his breath as he excused himself to interrupt the older men in their conversation.</p><p>“Still surprised to see you driving that old fossil. My offer still stands, though. I could get you one of the shinier models.” It had been a similar offer he’d had from many people over the ages, but Max could never bring himself to do that.</p><p>“Nah. Rustbucket’s a strong gal. She and I have been through so much, we’re like family. Besides, nothing that can’t be fixed with a little duct tape and elbow grease.” What wonders of handyman ingenuity would be forever left a mystery to the other gentleman as his partner abruptly inserted himself alongside them. </p><p>“Uh, hey, are we gonna neuralyze them or are we gonna start filing charges, ‘cause that kid’s definitely got class 5 contraband on his arm.”</p><p>“Class 5? Tennyson, you been holding out on me?” A slight hint of betrayal in his voice, but more expectant on an explanation.</p><p>“I never said I wasn’t.” Was Max’s matter-of-factly response, but he knew he had to follow it up with the truth. “Vilgax was after it, so the Enforcers tried sending it to me for safe keeping. Discreetly. I didn’t even know it at the time, though, so it stuck itself to the closest person with my DNA.”</p><p>“Huh, that might explain why we’ve been up to our necks in smuggling rings this summer. Half of Manhattan’s runnin’ wild with illegal plasma weapons, all of ‘em probably looking to zap your boy.” A daunting prospect for most people, but the Tennyson clan had proven themselves to be far from easy prey. His grandson would certainly relish the idea of more foes to smash.</p><p>“If you need any help…” He offered, but his peer held out his hand to stop him from continuing.</p><p>“Oh, won’t be necessary. We’ve got it under control. No one’s going to touch your grandkids while we’re around.”</p><p>“I appreciate that, Kay.” Max held out his hand to the old man in the suit.</p><p>“Max.” He spoke curtly, but his handshake was firm and assuring.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Fix it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His normal smug and cocky face was something she would have sorely loved to punch. True, he was family, but that was no reason to go easy on him. And yet, seeing him asleep like this, it was hard to reconcile the calm and peaceful mask with his usual rowdiness. Like an angel, her aunt had said, much to his embarrassment. </p><p>Not that he could protest it right now. He’d been pooped from spending the entire morning readying himself for the water balloon fight at Jonesy’s birthday party, and she had helped him build up quite the stockpile of ammunition that his head now slept against, a river of saliva pouring out. </p><p>She’d already taken a picture for blackmail purposes, but mysteriously found herself evermore captivated by the serenity and complete lack of devilishness that would have betrayed the infantile and, let’s face it, dangerously reckless mind behind it all. </p><p>And his hair was unexpectedly soft. Had it always been like that? Gwen’s fingers had initially only brushed away some strands to get a better look at his face as it flooded the dining table, but it got her wondering why his hair was always in the rough and messy shape it was in, and before she knew it, she was steepling it just to watch it fall down in weird shapes, reminiscent of those comic characters he liked.</p><p>It had honestly been kind of fun. Fun enough to give her an idea. She couldn’t help giggling to herself, nonstop, as she spilled over her spellbook in search of that one thing that would be useful here. Her lips had to try more than once to speak the words of power when she was simultaneously having small breakdowns of laughter.  </p><p>“G-g-glacic c-capp-pillahahahaha!” She tumbled over, clutching her sides as the blue glow surrounded his head and formed up in… into… well, perhaps the best way to describe it was something girly. Think hair rollers. </p><p>That Ben now looked like he had the hair of a woman undergoing the process of curling broke the dam, her eyes flooding her face, and brought her tumbling to the floor, laughing her butt off. Just loud enough to wake Ben up from his slumber.</p><p>“Wha-huh?” Confusion may have addled his mind for the first few seconds, but the sense of wrongness in atop his scalp brought his hands exploring it quickly enough. A paleness washed over him as confusion gave way to anger as he looked into the glass of the Ruskbucket’s window, only to be replaced by red as the blood rushed back. As if on cue, Gwen’s waterworks were redirected from tears to beads of sweat as she was met by the angry angry face of her cousin, boiling with contempt at her.</p><p>“N-now Ben-” She wanted to start, but there would be no semantics or beating around the bush.</p><p>“Fix it.” The words hit her like hammers as he left the dining booth, stomping towards her.</p><p>“I-it’ll only last f-for a few hours-” The words babbled out of her as she tried to get back on her feet, scrambling for the door latch.</p><p>“*Fix it!*” There was no talking her way out of this. Once the door was open, she ran as though Vilgax had manifested right then and there. </p><p>A few blocks down, a pair of golden haired kids were well on their way to the Jonesy’s house for the party. Apparently, his parents had just gotten an Xbox 360, and everyone was waiting to try it out, and Cooper couldn’t wait to *test* his powers on it. And if the machine’s controllers were to glitch up for some of the other players, there was no way they could fault him. </p><p>Yes, this would be a good day to be a technopath. There was no way anything was going to ruin that for him. Even Lucy’s bubbliness was made that much less annoying with the prospects of the afternoon ticking ever closer. Heck, Lucy’s babbling was kind of funny. It was a good day.</p><p>“…and then he threw his underwear at her, and she screamed like it was melting her face off or something!” Snorts and chortles. He’d gotten used to her doing that. So used to it, in fact, that Cooper even found himself sharing the same reaction., requiring no small amount of will to stifle it.  </p><p>“Okay, see, this falls into the category of ‘Too Much Information’.” After all, as funny as it was to hear about how those two terrorized each other, sometimes you just never talked about that stuff. “And seriously, never talk about guys’ underpants again. That’s just wro-”</p><p>“Fix it!” A wet splash caught their ears, followed by the unmistakable shrieking of a maiden in duress.</p><p>“Ben! Sto- Eeeik!” The flaming red head of Gwen Tennyson went past them at the intersection, soaked with water, her arms held up in a futile attempt to protect her delicate features, all while her cousin trailed but a second later with a box of water balloons, grabbing another one and throwing it at her, and, for some reason, looked like he had hair curlers in his hair.</p><p>“FIX IT!” He hollered for all the world to hear. It took Cooper some time to process what was happening, but Lucy was already 100% on board the moment she saw them. </p><p>“Oooh! Hey, let me try out the water balloons!” And with those words, the mud alien ran off along Jordan Street following the rest of her family, leaving Cooper all by his lonesome. And he was finished processing everything.</p><p>“Mmmnope.” Cooper concluded, his hands raised to surrender any participation in whatever this was, choosing to walk on as if nothing had happened. “Nope.”</p><p>He had video games to play.</p>
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